


A Place To Call Home

by turnedherbrain



Series: The Prince of Kingham [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Not Canon Compliant, Romance, at least when it comes to the Merlin/Freya relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2017-11-28
Packaged: 2019-02-07 18:32:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12847035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/turnedherbrain/pseuds/turnedherbrain
Summary: Merlin was lured to the small English country village of Kingham, accidentally finding new friends and enduring romantic entanglements along the way.But now that he’s beginning to call it home, all of his fears are coming to the surface – because how can he be truly at home, if he can’t be truly honest with the person who matters the most?





	1. Who Wants To Live Forever?

_There's no time for us._  
_There's no place for us._  
_What is this thing that builds our dreams, yet slips away from us?_  
  
[_Who wants to live forever?_](https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/queen/whowantstoliveforever.html)

 

The cottage was on the outskirts of Kingham. Smoke vapour rose in evaporating tendrils from the chimney above the wood stove. As the near-winter dusk drew in, Merlin curled up next to the heat emanating from the fire, Freya lying beside him in their soft shell of blankets.

He should have felt completely at peace, yet there was something tugging at his mind: a secret that weighed heavy on him. Until he could gather the bravery to tell her, he couldn’t truly feel at home.

………………………

He’d never meant to come here in the first place: he’d been lured by a witch’s wiles. Only two months ago, he’d been in New York, in the midst of millions of other complete strangers. Now, he was amongst fewer than five hundred, some of whom he even called friends, all hidden in a cosy little dip of land in the uppermost corner of the English Cotswolds.

Before, what had drawn him to the most populous places was the chance to be anonymous; for no-one to ask him questions about who he was. Yet that way of life also made those places the loneliest on the planet. Despite himself, he still wanted to make a connection with those around him, but he feared people getting to know him too well. And this was his very dilemma with Freya.

He stroked Freya’s hair, moving closer to her: “I want us to stay like this forever. Do you have to go out again tonight?”

“I’m afraid so,” replied Freya gently. “The woods need patrolling at night too.” She was a forest ranger, and her job involved protecting nocturnal species in the nearby woods. Merlin thought it suited her shy, caring nature – she worked in a natural place, quite far from people, but looking after vulnerable animals. She often returned exhausted in the morning, and Merlin found himself in the position where he could care for her in turn – a position which he’d eagerly adopted.

………………………

Sam, the friendly barman at The Shepherd’s Staff, hadn’t been at all surprised when Merlin told him that he wanted to give up renting his room above the pub. “Getting serious, is it?”

“I think so,” nodded Merlin. “Only…”

“Only you’re afraid of getting your feelings hurt?” suggested Sam.

“Something like that,” Merlin replied elusively. He wasn’t afraid Freya would find out he had magic – far from it, he wanted to tell her, and soon. She struck him as the kind of person who would be understanding, and take him seriously, and tell him it would be OK, no matter what.

What made him afraid was the far, far greater secret that he hid, and the one which kept him from making lasting relationships, wherever he travelled – because no matter how important the person, he knew that they would eventually fade away, while he carried on. That was the worst kind of torment in his existence. Immortality had its many benefits, but its bane was in knowing everyone around him would flutter and fade like summer butterflies, while he remained.

………………………

Yet here he was, Freya’s breath soft on his cheek as she laid in the crook of his arm, and he couldn’t think of anywhere on the planet he wanted to be more. She was his love, and he was hers, and that was all that mattered. He would tell her his most burdensome secret eventually, when the time was right.


	2. The Knights of Kingham

Artie had quickly become a friend. In fact, he seemed to inspire friendship and trust in everyone around him. Merlin was frequently invited to the family home, which as he expected, was a vast manor. Peacocks preened themselves in the grounds, showing off their iridescent splendour.

Artie had the easy nonchalance of the very rich. He was expansive with his friendships, and thought nothing of standing the whole clientele of The Shepherd’s Staff several rounds. But Merlin could see that he still wanted to please his father, and that lay at the very heart of all his actions – living up to the man he most respected and yet was frequently the most at odds with.

Artie’s father was a kingpin of county society. He had held various high offices on the Kingham and District borough council, he had many above- and below-board business interests, and he was invariably closeted in his office with a revolving multitude of advisors. It meant Artie was free to roam the house, which he did, in the messiest manner possible. He was unrepentant that he couldn’t even fry an egg (“I tried it once. I managed to incinerate it.”), or that he didn’t know where his clothes came from (“The maid orders them – I just give her my measurements.”)

However, Artie was not above exposing his soul, and had already used Merlin as a sounding board on more than one occasion: “I just can’t decide what I should do. I know the expectation is that I should follow my father into the business. But what if I don’t want to do that? Or what if I don’t feel ready?”

“You’re still finding your way,” advised Merlin. “As much as your father may press you to follow his path, perhaps you need just a bit longer. He’ll respect you more, in the long term, if you decide to join him when you’re completely ready.”

“Hmmm,” said Artie reflectively, his chin resting on his interlinked fingers. “You know, you’re not such an idiot after all. You may actually be _quite_ wise.” Despite his sarcastic tone, Merlin knew that Artie was giving him an unexpected compliment. But then he went and spoilt the moment by giving Merlin an enormous slap on the shoulder, which almost knocked him over.

………………………

All in all, Artie should have been the archetypal spoilt rich kid, and yet he wasn’t. His ultra-close circle of friends was a testament to that – they would follow him wherever he went, and whatever exploits he got involved in.

One evening in late November, the four of them were gathered round Artie’s kitchen table. Percy – having just come from the gym; Lance, doing his own form of intellectual weight-lifting with a volume of Byron’s poetry; Leon, keeping the peace as silly squabbles broke out. And Gavin. He had recently returned from a week-long ‘date’, which had apparently involved taking a Russian supermodel on a skiing trip. (“I don’t know how to ski, Merlin. I thought I’d just give it a go,” he laughed.) Gavin was the most talkative, the most ebullient. He was the virtuoso left-fielder of the group.

“Don’t listen to most of his tales, Merlin,” Artie had told him. “I’d say roughly a quarter of what Gavin says he’s done is actually true. The rest… hmmm, well, the rest may possibly be alcohol-induced. But, you know what? I don’t care. He’s the life and soul, and he has no fear whatsoever.”

It was Gavin who, sitting in the manor kitchen that evening, suggested that Merlin should be officially sworn into their group.

“Oh no,” demurred Merlin, quite literally backing away from the lads around the table. “I’m not really a joiner. I’m more of a solitary…”

“Nonsense, Merlin!” Artie cajoled him. “Here, have a place at the table. You can be one of the Knights of Kingham.”

“The Knights of whaaat?” spluttered Merlin.

“The Knights of Kingham,” confirmed Artie. “That’s what we call ourselves. Just a little joke, mind you, but it’s stuck. You see, I’m the brains…”

“I’d dispute that,” murmured Lance quietly.

“And I’m the brawn,” continued Percy.

“I’m the heart,” laughed Leon.

“And I’m the soul,” said Lance, more seriously.

“And I’m beauty, grace and wit,” Gavin followed on, while the others fell about laughing. “What about Merlin? What does he bring to the table then?”

“Oh, I’d say he’s Merlin the wise,” replied Artie, matching Lance now for seriousness. “Because he acts the fool, but at heart he’s the wisest amongst us. Aren’t you, Merlin?”

Merlin didn’t know what to say to that. But that was how he was, very unofficially, sworn in as a Knight of Kingham.


	3. Into The Darkling Woods

One evening later that same week, just after Freya had left for work, Merlin was doing the washing up at the kitchen sink. Well, ‘doing’ wasn’t really the precise term for it, because real washing up was a boring chore, so Merlin was letting the plates and dishes wash themselves instead, in a delightful Fantasia of clacking crockery, while he made himself a cup of leaf tea. Well, ‘making the tea’ wasn’t strictly correct either – the kettle and the teapot had kind of organised themselves.

Merlin was simply staring out the window, remembering how he and Freya had just spent the last couple of hours and smiling happily, with a very far-off look in his eye. Then he segued into wondering what he could make Freya for breakfast when she got back from her shift.

So he was startled to see Gavin’s face suddenly appear at the window, looking like he’d just risen up from the flowerbeds after a too-lengthy afternoon nap. Crack, crash went the crockery, cascading out of mid-air. The kettle spilt hot water chaotically onto the kitchentop, rather than into the waiting teapot.

Without stopping to be asked, Gavin scrambled hastily along the garden path and burst in by the back door, incongruously holding a rose in between his index finger and thumb. “Sorry, may have broken one off,” he grinned. “By the way – those roses are looking amazing. What are you watering them with… magic?”

Merlin hem-hemmed, moved to stand in front of the shattered dishes, then took the rose out of Gavin’s extended hand. He would fuse it back on later, as well as do a quick tidy up in the kitchen. “Gavin… why on earth were you hiding in the rose bushes?”

“Oh. Not hiding,” Gavin laughed. “I’ve not been there for very long. I was trying to be discreet, instead of marching up and banging on the door. Just in case you and Freya were – you know…”

“What?” asked Merlin, pretending innocence.

“Well, erm… doing more than just making dinner,” replied Gavin with a cheeky grin. “Aaaannyyyway. I need your help. That is – we need your help. Me and the boys. You see, Artie’s dad’s been kidnapped by a group calling themselves the Dark Forces.”

“The Dark whaaat?” interrupted Merlin. Really, the names people gave their gangs around here. It was overly dramatic, to say the least.

“The Dark Forces. They’re a group of eco-warriors. Artie’s dad is planning some development out by the Dark Woods and they objected, so…”

“The Dark Woods..??” echoed Merlin. Really, this was perfect. The English definitely knew how to name their places as they found them.

“Yes,” continued Gavin, unperturbed. “They’re actually called the Darkling Woods, but that’s their old name. Most people call them the Dark Woods for short. Soooo, the jist of it is, Artie’s rushed off to save his dad. He wasn’t supposed to; he was just supposed to pay a ransom. But you know what he’s like. All the other lads wanted to follow after him. But… I kind of persuaded them that it should just be you and me.”

“Me?” gulped Merlin. He wasn’t afraid, but if it came to a fight he’d have to use magic, and he wasn’t sure that he could do that without drawing Gavin’s attention. “Why me?”

“We make the perfect rescue party,” affirmed Gavin. “Me to draw them off. You to negotiate. All the lads are agreed. We just need to go and get some torches off Sam. He’s got a couple of powerful Ever-Readys for when he needs to change the beer barrels in the pub cellar.” Gavin was saying all of this over his shoulder, as he walked out of the door. Realising Merlin wasn’t right behind him, he popped his head back round the door. “So, are you coming, or not?”

“Is there any reason we’re not leaving this to the police to sort out?” questioned Merlin, following Gavin outside anyway.

“Our local law enforcement consists of one officer, who is currently drinking his fifth pint of the night in Sam’s bar. And the county squad down in Evesham can’t be bothered with local affairs. We can sort it out far quicker by ourselves,” reasoned Gavin. “Hop in the old chariot?”

Merlin slid in to the passenger seat of Gavin’s beat-up MX5, and they sped off down the country lane, taking blind corners blindly, until they’d managed to reach the pub in one suspension-shattering piece.

.....................

“Sam, no…” urged Merlin.

“I’m coming, whether you want me to or not,” insisted Sam. He was dressed in his stoutest overcoat and cap, and he held the shepherd’s staff protectively by his side.

“Sam, even if we take the staff, we can’t be sure that we can use it,” whispered Merlin, glancing over at Gavin, who was weighing one of Sam’s heavy torches in his hand. “And we can’t keep on going round, knocking people over the head and hoping they suffer mild concussion. It’s not a very reliable method of hiding magical instruments.”

“I always knew this staff was magical. I just couldn’t prove it: then you showed me what it could do. I’m coming with you. I’m pretty handy at fighting: I used to be a boxer in my youth. Plus – you can’t order me not to. I’m nearly three times your age…”

“That’s not strictly true,” began Merlin, but stopped when Gavin strolled over.

“Ready to go into the Darkling Woods?” smiled Gavin, hefting the two torches onto his shoulders like they were loaded pistols.

“Yes. I was just explaining to Sam here that he can’t accompany us,” replied Merlin, stressing the words ‘Sam’ and ‘can’t’.

“Ah no, it’s fine by me. He can come. Sam used to be a boxer, didn’t you Sam?” laughed Gavin.

Merlin sighed internally, and wondered how he’d managed to become part of this group of homegrown heroes. Into the Darkling Woods it was.


	4. Facing Dark Forces

The slim curve of a crescent moon lit the sky, a pale silver pendant hanging on an invisible chain. The three of them made their way through the woods, the only sound the rustle of dry leaves underfoot.

Gavin went on ahead, his torchlight waving unsteadily as he clambered through a thicket, with Sam following behind and Merlin at the rear. As they entered a dense copse of trees, Gavin suddenly halted, and they concertinaed clumsily into one another. He turned and motioned ‘shhh’ to the others, his face just outside the beam of light cast by his torch, whispering: “I can see light on the brow of the hill. I’ll go and investigate up ahead; you two can scout around the edge and keep me covered.”

They made their way up the hillside, Gavin’s torch becoming a smaller circle of light as he half-walked, half-ran up the incline; Merlin and Sam zig-zagging their way uphill at a slower pace. The light up ahead started to resemble a fire, the sparks floating into the night sky.

“Halt!” said a voice from their left. Wordlessly, Sam passed the staff to Merlin and took the torch. They were prodded up the remaining part of the hill, and entered into a small clearing. Merlin took one look around and had soon assessed the situation. Artie and his dad were off to one side, sitting back to back: both bound and gagged. Gavin was shamefaced, standing beside the fire in the centre of the clearing, a figure in black holding something to his back. Wait – was that a garden rake?!

Merlin quickly glanced over his shoulder. A similar figure in black, like a misplaced ninja, was standing close behind him. If he wasn’t mistaken, the shape was female. In fact, all four of the black-clad shapes were female, and they were brandishing various garden implements.

The tallest of the figures, keeping Gavin under watch, stepped forward and addressed them. “We only want peace, and freedom for the woods. Uther has broken his promise to protect the land from development…”

“Ung, unggg, UNGGGH!” went Uther. Artie tried to twist around and shush his father.

Undeterred, the figure continued: “If we can extract a promise for the development to be stopped, then we will let you go free. Until then, you will remain here.” She forced Gavin into a sitting position beside Artie and Uther. “Do you promise?”

“Ung, unggg,” replied Uther, before the woman bent down and loosened the cloth over his mouth. “I don’t negotiate with people who hold me captive.”

“Unnggg, UNNNGGGGHH!” went Artie.

Merlin and Sam found themselves prodded harshly in their backs again, by what felt like a farm pitchfork. The woman bent down again, and removed Artie’s gag. “I think that we may be able to work on a compromise that will leave both parties much more content,” he reasoned. “But I don’t think a forest grove, at midnight, is the best place to do thaaaa…”

Artie suddenly trailed off, his mouth gaping. Gavin looked in the direction of Artie’s gaze, and his mouth formed exactly the same round ‘o’. Slowly but surely, all the people in the clearing turned to look the same way.

Just on the edge of the hill, slightly outside the glow cast by the fire, was a creature. It had slunk stealthily into view, and was now growling softly but threateningly in the moonlight. It had the shape of a black panther, but was larger and more menacing. Everyone froze.

Merlin was the first to react, turning and holding out his hand at a low angle, palm down, approaching the creature cautiously. He carried the staff by his side, ready to raise it for protection. The animal crouched lower, as if it was about to pounce. Merlin couldn’t be sure in the shadows cast by the overhanging branches, but it seemed as if the creature had two black-as-tar wings flattened to its sides.

“Everyone who can move – go!” he urged, while he moved ever closer to the creature. The black-clad figures needed no further prompting, discarding their implements, then stumbling and scattering in panic down the wooded hillside. Merlin started to raise the staff… but something was stopping him, and he didn’t know what.

Gavin had produced a bread knife out of nowhere – had he been carrying that all along? Merlin thought fleetingly – and he began to saw through the ropes that tightly bound Artie and Uther, both of whom were attempting to wriggle free as each split-second passed. Sam joined them, tugging at the ropes. He hoped fervently that the staff’s powers would provide protection.

Five more seconds elapsed, yet it felt like an eternity. Merlin was only a foot or two away from the creature now. He held the staff poised.

“Béo æt séftnesse, héahgesceafte,” murmured Merlin, looking directly into the creature’s unblinking eyes. He felt strange. There was something about the creature’s expression that was distinctly familiar, and its gaze had a note of sadness about it; not mistrust or hunger. He…

The creature yelped as a heavy torch was flung towards it. The torch glanced off its skull, and howling in pain, the animal tore off into the undergrowth. Merlin looked round to see an ecstatic Gavin had crept up swiftly behind him, and had taken his chance to ward off the monster.

“What on earth was THAT?” asked Artie, more to himself than to anyone else present. He stood and shook off the remaining rope, then helped his father up.

“I don’t know. And I don’t want to know,” replied Gavin. “Let’s get going, before that thing decides to come back.”

Merlin peered into the middle distance worriedly, before joining the others. On the way down, Uther and Artie couldn’t stop from bickering:

“If only you’d done as you’re told for once, we wouldn’t be in this ridiculous situation to start with!”

“I came to save _you_ , father! And if it hadn’t been for _your_ actions in aggravating this group of peace-loving citizens…”

“‘Peace-loving’? Huh! They almost stabbed me with a pitchfork!”

“Well, if you’d listened to their views in the first place, then we wouldn’t…”

And on, and on, all the way back. They didn’t stop on the tree-lined descent, or in the car. They didn’t stop at the gate of the manor house. They hadn’t stopped as they ascended the front porch steps. As they drove away, Merlin swore that he could still hear their dispute.

“You guys OK?” asked Gavin, once they’d dropped off the quarrelling father and son.

“Oh yes, perfect!” beamed Sam. “Apart from that bloody big black cat that nearly ate us, that is. What the hell was it?”

“Dunno. Escaped panther, maybe?” mused Gavin. “I’ve heard stories about the Beast of Bodmin Moor… but we’re quite a way from there.”

Merlin stayed silent, deep in thought. It wasn’t a panther; of that he was sure. But what type of creature it _really_ was, he was yet uncertain.

His reverie was interrupted as they pulled up in front of The Shepherd’s Staff, by a woman who ran at Sam as he exited the car. Her long blonde hair streamed out behind her and she was wearing her nightgown and slippers. “Sam, where have you been? I was about to call the fire brigade search and rescue!”

Sam looked suitably chastened, and went to kiss the woman on the cheek. Merlin and Gavin, both intrigued, had left the car to join the reunited pair.

“Gavin… Merlin… This is my girlfriend Diane,” said Sam shyly, moving to stand by the woman.

“Oh. Ohhh! You didn’t tell me… M-m-mer…” began Diane, looking as if she was about to curtsy, or cry, or both. She had so many speeches rehearsed for this moment, and now she was standing in front of Emr… Mr Merlin, and she was completely at a loss for words. What could she possibly say? ‘I’m your greatest fan!’, or ‘I love your work!!’ Instead, she stood stock still, with her mouth hanging open.

Fortunately, Sam salvaged the situation, taking Diane tenderly by the waist and guiding her back into the pub, saying: “Let’s get inside. We’ll both of us catch cold.” He cast a rueful look back at Merlin and Gavin as they departed, as if to say ‘sorry about that.’

“Hell hath no fury…” laughed Gavin, as the couple disappeared inside. “Do you want a lift back to the cottage?”

“No thanks Gavin,” said Merlin. He wanted to walk; he hoped that it would clear his confused mind. He was still holding on to the staff, but it no longer felt heavy by his side.

“Great teamwork tonight, Merlin,” grinned Gavin, clapping him on the shoulder. Why did Artie’s gang always do that to him? It was as if they couldn’t express their thanks and emotions enough through simple words, but had to give great, galumphing displays of manliness as well.

“Definitely. I’ll know who to call on if I ever need a torch-thrower,” Merlin replied, hiding his still-deep concern for what had happened in the woods under a glib response. “Goodnight, Gavin,” he called over his shoulder, as Gavin stooped to get back into his car.

“G’night, Merlin,” replied Gavin. “Oh, and Merlin?”

“Yes?” said Merlin, swinging back round.

“The name’s Gwaine.”

“What?”

“My name. It’s Gwaine,” smiled his friend. “Someone mistook me for a Gavin when I first arrived here, and I couldn’t be bothered to correct them. So you’re not the only one who’s had trouble with their name.”

Merlin smiled back. For Gwaine to tell him this was akin to him saying ‘we’re blood brothers now, you and I.’ So he simply replied: “Goodnight, Gwaine. I’ll make sure not to mistake you in future.”

Then he trudged back down the lane to the cottage, determined to clear everything up and get an ounce of sleep before Freya returned from her shift in the morning. He hoped and prayed to all the gods that she’d been nowhere in the vicinity of that disturbed creature.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merlin is supposed to say: ‘Be at peace, noble creature,’ in Anglo-Saxon. It’s a very literal translation, so sorry if I’ve got it wrong!


	5. True Colours

_But I see your true colors_  
_Shining through_  
_I see your true colors_  
_And that's why I love you_  
  
_[So don't be afraid to let them show](https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/cyndilauper/truecolors.html)_

 

Merlin woke to a bright, clear dawn, so at odds with the strange events of the previous night. Lying in bed, adjusting to the daylight, he still couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling he’d had since he’d faced the creature. That look in its eyes: one of such sorrow and pain…

He heard the back door faintly open and close, and Freya’s feet padding slowly up the stairs. As soon as she walked into the room, he was alert to the drastic change in her body language. Gone was the shy but welcoming glance; instead she hung her head, ignoring his hopeful ‘good morning’. She fled into the bathroom, closing the door firmly behind her. He could soon hear the shower running, and wondered whether he dared venture in and find out what the matter was.

But Freya reappeared soon enough, wrapped in a towel from the shower, droplets of water clinging to her. She bore a large bruise on her left shoulder and there was a trail of dried blood that had left a mark from her forehead to her eyebrow. She collapsed onto the edge of the bed, and when he came with instant concern to hug her and ask how she’d injured herself, she shrugged him off without a word. When she looked up at him finally, he saw that look in her eyes. One of such sorrow and pain.

The realisation came to him in a sudden onrush, shaking his very being. He’d been so concerned with the secrets he was trying to keep hidden, he’d had no thought for Freya’s darkest sorrow.

“It was you,” he said kindly. “I’m glad I saw you. Tell me everything, please, if you can.”

Freya shuddered, tears falling down her pale cheeks. He held her to him, and didn’t want to let go. “It’s always been this way, ever since I was a girl,” she began, reluctantly. “I’m cursed. This other self – this hellish creature – it takes me over, night after night. I’m ravenous. I have to get out and roam. I wake at dawn and I hate myself.

“You have no idea what it’s like, trying to conceal a huge part of yourself from view. A part that you loathe, and would gladly be rid of. There have been times when I’d think it such sweet relief to feel the sting of the hunter’s bullet…”

“Don’t talk like that, Freya!” proscribed Merlin. “Think of all the people who love you in this world. I would be completely lost without you.”

“I know,” smiled Freya wanly, wiping her cheeks. “It was strange, last night. For the first time, when I saw you… when that ‘self’ saw you. I didn’t feel hunger, I didn’t feel the urge to hunt. I just felt at peace. That’s never happened before.”

“Then I’ll stay with you, when you change,” Merlin reassured her. “We can go further away from here, to places where you can hunt freely, and I’ll be with you, at your side.”

Freya burst into tears, shaking with uncontrollable relief. “You don’t know how hard it’s been for me. It’s such a relief to finally have someone know. And for that person to be you, of all people. It’s like fate drew us together. I was so scared you’d find out. And when you found out, that you wouldn’t want to be with me.”

“I would never leave you. Never! I understand what it is, to have to hide part of yourself, for I’ve a secret of my own,” confessed Merlin. “Not so dark, or as dangerous perhaps, but one which I’ve kept to myself.”

Freya looked unsurprised. “I knew there was something… The words you spoke to me in the forest last night: they sounded like some kind of ancient language. And with Cass – one minute you were holding hands, the next minute she’d disappeared forever. Then you don’t stay in one place for very long – at least, until now. What _are_ you?”

Merlin bowed his head and leant even closer to Freya, whispering the first of his secrets into her ear. When he’d finished, Freya’s unhesitating answer made him love her all the more: “If you are willing to accept me so readily for what I am, then I accept you for everything you are.”

Not everything, thought Merlin. You only know half of my story. He tried not to think of the secret that he still kept from her. Instead, he hugged Freya with all his might. “I swear I will protect you,” he whispered. “Forever.” An invisible echo of his words came back down to him, from a long time ago, when he’d sworn the same undying allegiance to another.

“Forever?” Freya’s face looked up at his in wonderment. “I’m happy with ‘for now’. Who has forever?”

.....................

After the night in the Darkling Woods, the hunt was on for the beast. Uther repeatedly sent out the local hunt to track the animal, but they couldn’t find the creature, no matter how much ground they covered or how far they tracked its trail.

Merlin spent his evenings driving Freya out to places much further afield, and increasingly remote, walking by her side as she roamed the dark, midnight places. They would wake at dawn on a chilly forest floor, and Merlin would carry her back to the car, wrapped up in blankets. They’d reach home and collapse together into bed.

After he’d been captured in the woods, Artie had changed too, revealing the beginnings of a newfound maturity. He spent time and effort to broker an effective solution between his father and the ‘dark forces’, who turned out to be rather charming, as well as passionate about their cause. He was gaining the respect and trust of his father, and he stood taller and prouder because of it. Even so, he still hadn’t learnt how to fry an egg. It takes many small steps to become a great man, thought Merlin. Many small steps indeed.


	6. Epilogue: Alban Eilir

Shortly after the sunrise had reclaimed the day, a small group gathered in the sacred grove to celebrate the Spring equinox.

“We call it Alban Eilir,” Sam had explained. “It means 'the light of the earth'.” And the shoots of new life were beginning to show in the woodland, as a myriad of crocuses mixed with the nodding heads of early blooming daffodils, clustered around the tree trunks in a bright garland.

At the end of the spring rites, the couple moved forward from their places in the circle, and stood facing one another at the foot of the old oak, the tallest tree in the grove. Their clasped hands were intertwined with a chain of small flowers and grasses, symbolising their joining together under natural law.

Merlin recognised most people in the circle. He was constantly surprised by this place; that so many still celebrated the old religion. Sam and Diane stood in front of the tree, and solemnly swore to cherish and protect one another, for as long as they both lived on the green earth.

He held on to Freya’s hand tightly, and silently made the same vow – to protect and cherish her, forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK so I know this ending is seriously canon divergent, but I can't help it, I just want Merlin and Freya to have some happiness!
> 
> Inspired by the films 'Highlander' and 'Hot Fuzz', because of very different situations and settings in those... The Queen lyric in ch1 is from the 'Highlander' soundtrack. Plus of course, 'Merlin' 3.08, 'The Eye of The Phoenix', because of the Merlin & Gwaine pairing - I wish they could go on more adventures together :)


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